Letters to the editor

Julian Huppert’s suggestions are a good start to restoring sanity to the drugs debate. Perhaps we should also consider rethinking the dangerous dichotomy between our understanding of drugs suppliers and drugs users. The two are often the same.

Adam Watts

Continuing to fight a battle against drugs, when we already seem to be losing, is highly irrational. Sadly, drugs are here to stay, and we must find a way of safely accepting them back into society under regulation, like alcohol or other dangerous activities.

Simon Marshall

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Commonwealth

[Re: Forget Europe: our only hope is to trade with emerging giants, yesterday]

The UK turned its back on its Commonwealth cousins when it signed up to the EU. It didn’t have to be this way. France has maintained strong economic and military links with its former colonies and, although it is similarly constrained in not being able to sign independent free trade agremeents, at least it has kept its close historical attachments intact. The problem with our current situation is that, even if we did leave the EU and return to the fast-growing nations we once left behind, much of the damage has already been done. Trade patterns have ended, old ties have already been forgotten.

Richard Pierce

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BEST OF TWITTER

I’m not surprised Blockbuster has gone into administration. Another victim of the failure to adapt to inevitable retail trends.
@JTSmyth

With Blockbuster in administration after Jessops and HMV, that means at least 10,000 retail jobs are now at risk in 2013.
@dhowick1980

If the Germans can compete in global markets on the basis of high European standards, why can’t Britain also?
@Jonathan_Todd

The UK now has a trade surplus in the car industry for the first time since the 1970s. Something we’ve managed to do well.
@Jonathan_Todd